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Autopilot

 
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ledson



Joined: 29 Apr 2009
Posts: 62

PostPosted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 10:36 am    Post subject: Autopilot Reply with quote

Here's a questions for the group, Has anyone heard of or seen an autopilot installed on an Allegro?

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aerosiam



Joined: 26 May 2008
Posts: 59

PostPosted: Tue Jun 29, 2010 1:41 am    Post subject: Re: Autopilot Reply with quote

I fitted a 2 axis Dynon autopilot to my Allegro 2000 a while back.

The installation is straightforward and both servos fit nicely to the rear side of the bulkhead under the baggage shelf

For various reasons, I have only tested it for a few hours. My initial impression in the fairly brief testing was that the response to the pitch servo was excellent and it maintained or changed height in a fluid movement.

The roll servo response was a problem even after adjusting the various settings on the Dynon setup. As the plane rolled out onto a new heading, the adverse yaw slewed it off the target heading by a few degrees. This repeated so it was constantly rolling, missing and correcting. There is no 'aim-off' setting in the Dynon.

The Allegro has a 3:1 differential built into the bellcrank in the cockpit but it is progressive and at small deflections there is no differential. We tried a more 'aggressive' setting on the Dynon program with larger deflections (by setting a higher roll rate) hoping the differential would be enough to counteract the yaw as the plane rolled out onto a heading. It didn't work and the plane started hunting left and right across the heading in progressively sharper movements. The co-pilot described it as 'getting ugly' and we stopped.

I posted the problem on the Dynon forum but they responded by email not on the forum. This may suggest that other people are having this problem.

A friend has a Technam with Tru-Trak system which works very well. It seems to 'miss' the correct heading by 10 degrees, then gently reverses the roll and settles perfectly on the correct heading.


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ledson



Joined: 29 Apr 2009
Posts: 62

PostPosted: Tue Jun 29, 2010 9:19 am    Post subject: Re: Autopilot Reply with quote

Paul, thanks for the information. Your experience with the Dynon system is informative. I believe that if I was going to install one on my airplane I would look at using a Trutrak system. From the people that I know that are using the Trutrak autopilots I haven't heard any complaints. I've flown a Evektor Sportstar that had a Trutrak and I found it very easy to use and held the course that it was set on plus it linked with the Garmin GPS quite well. Do you have any photos or information that you can share on the mounting and placement of the servos?

Thanks,

Larry


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aerosiam



Joined: 26 May 2008
Posts: 59

PostPosted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 1:11 am    Post subject: Re: Autopilot Reply with quote

OK, I'll get some photos in a few days.

A friend of mine made a template for the brackets in stiff paper for the shop to cut and bend. It looked like a cereal packet cut diagonally. The Allegro is a simple installation and the fairly short arm movements mean it cannot go over-center. The standard Dynon install kit worked and the rod ends go direct onto the controls without a mod. The box with the flap motor electrics had to be moved and the left aileron stop trimmed.

Paul


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